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JACOB BRINKERHOFF AND WARREN M. BRINKERHOFF, or AUBURN, N. Y.

BARBED FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,706, dated May 30, 1882.

Application filed April 12,1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB BRINKERHOFF and WARREN M. BRINKERHOFF, citizens of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Barbed Fences, of which the following is a specification.

V This invention relates to a three-pronged barb-blank for wire fences; and has for its object to increase the strength of the barbs by utilizing a greater portion of the metal which has heretofore been wasted in cutting out barb-blanks of such character; also, to adapt the barb-blank to be securely connected with a fence-wire, and to so form and locate its prongs or barbs that when applied to the wire the three barbs shall each project to the same extent therefrom. These objects we attain by means of the barb-blank formed as illustratedin the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a sheet-metal strip from which our improved barb-blanks are formed,the method of cutting the blanks from the strip so as to avoid waste of material being illustrated by said figure. Fig. 2 represents the blank before it has been bent to clasp the fence-Wire, the two barbs that are at one end of the blank being in this instance of unequal length. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the fence-wire, and represents an tdge view of the three-pronged barb-blank connected thereto. Fig. 4: shows the blank employed in connection with a double-wire rail. Fig. 5 represents the three-pronged barb-blank having the two prongs or barbs that are at one end of equal length.

Our improved sheet-metal barb-blank comprises a base or body portion, A, having at one end a single barb, B, and at its opposite end the two prongs or barbs C and D, which are illustrated as being of unequal length, the shorter of these two being equal, or substantially equal, in length to the single barb at the opposite end of the base or body. The body is also slit or divided so as to form a short lip, E, alongside of the single barb that extends from one end of the base or body portion of the blank. These barbs are conveniently and economically cut from a short metal strip, as shown in Fig. 1, in which it will be seen that the only material of the strip not utilized is that in the triangular portions between the pointed ends of the short barbs and also between the pointed ends of the long barbs and the squared lips E. The base or body A of thisbarb-blankis substantiallyequalinwidth to the combined width of the two barbs that are at one of its ends, the short bar at the remaining end being of the same width as either of the said two barbs, whereby the barbs will all have a like capacity for resisting such strain as they may be subjected to. The blank is divided at one end by a longitudinal slit, 1, so as to separate the two barbs O and D from each other, while out or slit 2, which forms one of the sides of the barb at the opposite end of the blank, is continued a short distance in the body, so as to form one side of the lip E.

In the operation of clinching this threebarbed blank upon a fence-wire the wire will lie transversely across the base or body portion between the two slits l and 2, and the body will then be bent so as to clasp a portion of the wire. This operation will bring the two short barbs into the position shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that, while they lie in planes diverging from the fence-wire, they project on substantially the same side of the wire. The lip E is also bent upon the wire, and the third long barb, D, is bent around the wire in a reverse direction to the short barbs, so as to project therefrom at a side opposite to that at which the two shorter barbs project. In this way the wire will be embraced by the base or body of the blank and also by its lip, and aportion of the long barb, which, when the lip is used, will pass over and bind upon the lip, so as to secure the barb more firmly upon the wire rail than if such lip were not employed. The lip might, however, be dispensed with, in which case the long barb will be bentso as to substantially meetor to slightly overlap the base portion of the barb-blank. The barb-blank will thus be securely clasped upon the wire, and its barbs will each project to about the same extent therefrom.

Where this attachment is employed in connection with a double-Wire rail the barb-blank will be secured upon one wire, as just described, and the remaining one brought across the barb-blank, as shown in Fig. 4.. Of course the barb-blank could be employed in connection with a fence-rail composed of more than two wires, if so desired.

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated a barb-blank having at one end a single barb and at the other end two barbs, said single barb being substantially in the same line with one of the two barbs, whereby the barb out of line with the single barb can be made to pass by the edge of said single barb when the blank is placed upon a fence-wire and bent thereon, so as to have the barbs radiate therefrom to perform the functions desired.

hat we claim is- 1. A barb-blank for a fence-wire, having two barbs at one end, with a single barb at its opposite end substantially in the same line with one of the said two barbs, whereby the barb out of line with the single barb can be passed by the edge of said single barb when bending it upon a fence-wire.

2. Athree-prongcd sheet-metal barb-blank for wire fences, consisting of a base or body portion, having at one of its end corners a single barb, and at its opposite end provided with two barbs of unequal length, whereby, when its body portion is bent upon the fencewire and its longer barb bent thereon so as to project reversely to the two short barbs, all of said barbs will project to substantially the same extent from the wire, substantially as described.

3. A three-pronged sheet-metal barb-blank, comprising a base or body portion, A, pro vided at one end with the two barbs of unequal length, and atits remainingend provided with one barb and one short lip, said barbblank being adapted to be clasped upon the fence-wire and its barbs projected therefrom, substantially in the manner described.

4. The combination, with a fence-wire, of the three-pronged barb-blank comprising a body, A, with two barbs of unequal length at one end and one barb and one short lip at its remaining end, the body being adapted to be bent upon the wire so as to bring the two short barbs in diverging planes, and the lip and the long barb being bent upon the wire reversely to the two short barbs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of subscribing wit- HQSSGS.

JACOB BRINKERHOFF. WARRE) M. BRINKERIIOFF.

Witnesses to the signature of Jacob Brinkerhotf:

G. O. BUTTON, JOHN J. BRINKERHOFF.

Witnesses to signature of Warren M. Brinkcrhoff:

JAMES L. Noums, J. A. RUTHERFORD. 

